"Education": "Gifted Schools"… 70 subjects across 9 domains
Education Minister Engineer Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabai approved the regulations governing schools for gifted students, a step aimed at establishing a comprehensive system for discovering, nurturing, and developing the nation’s talented potential. The initiative seeks to provide a specialized educational environment that responds to learners’ abilities and needs, transforming their talents into scientific and creative achievements that serve Kuwait’s future.
The regulations consist of 70 articles distributed across nine chapters, regulating various aspects of operations in schools for gifted students. These range from nomination, identification, and admission, through the academic system, enrichment programs, and assessment, to learner follow-up, guaranteeing their rights, and conditions for continued enrollment. Implementation will begin in the middle school stage, from Grade 6 to Grade 9, starting in the 2026/2027 academic year. The timing of implementation in other educational stages will be determined by a decision from the Minister of Education.
Scope of Application
The Ministry of Education clarified that the provisions of the regulations apply to schools for gifted students, enrolled learners, and members of the educational, administrative, and technical support staff. It noted that schools for gifted students are administratively, technically, and financially under the supervision of the Office for Gifted Students, in accordance with the guidelines governing their operations.
The regulations approve a scientific system for identifying gifted students, relying on standardized and accredited tools and tests to measure general intellectual ability, academic achievement, and creativity, in addition to personal interviews. Candidates will be ranked based on test and interview results, and admissions will be approved within the available capacity of each school.
A reserve list will also be prepared for each identification cycle, including those who passed the tests but for whom no places were available. This list will be used to fill any vacancies, ensuring that identification results are fully utilized and that qualified applicants are benefited.
Enrichment Subject
Schools for gifted students will follow the official curricula of the Ministry of Education, in addition to an enrichment subject, which is considered a core academic course with two weekly sessions. Enrichment includes academic enrichment, applied projects, thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as achievements in activities and competitions.
Enrichment programs aim to expand the scope of learning beyond traditional academic achievement by focusing on research, application, creativity, and the development of thinking skills and the ability to complete projects.
Appropriate Environment
The regulations take into account the nature of specialized education for gifted learners, setting a maximum of 16 students per classroom to provide a more suitable environment for individual follow-up and capability development.
The Ministry is also responsible for providing transportation for learners from various regions of the country, in line with the schedules of attendance and the prescribed educational and enrichment programs in schools for gifted students.
The regulations establish a specific assessment system for the enrichment subject out of 100 points: 60 points for the project, 20 points for achievements in activities and competitions, and 20 points for tasks involving thinking skills, participation, interaction, behavior, and handling of tools. This distribution reflects the nature of the specialized program for gifted students, combining academic knowledge, practical achievement, creative skills, and the ability to interact and participate.
Conditions for Continuation
The regulations set two criteria for a learner’s continued enrollment in schools for gifted students: first, that the final overall percentage does not fall below 90 percent; and second, that the grade in the enrichment subject does not fall below 75 points. This links continued enrollment to academic performance and the effective use of the enrichment program.
If a learner’s performance declines during the first semester, the school is required to notify the parent or guardian, present the case to the Gifted Student Care Committee, and develop a documented therapeutic care plan in coordination with the psychological specialist, social specialist, and teachers. The results of the plan must be monitored before any decision is made regarding continued enrollment.
Decisions on continued enrollment will only be made at the end of the academic year and after all care and follow-up procedures have been exhausted. The right of the parent or guardian to file a grievance is guaranteed. If it is determined that the program is not suitable for the learner’s condition, the learner will be transferred to a general education school without being considered a failure or repeating the grade.
The regulations mandate the formation of a Gifted Student Care Committee in each school, chaired by the school principal and including assistant principals, department heads, the psychological specialist, and the social specialist. The committee is responsible for reviewing cases of underperformance, approving care plans, and submitting recommendations to the Office for Gifted Students.
The care system also includes the presence of a psychological specialist and a social specialist in each school to monitor the psychological, social, and family aspects of learners’ lives and maintain continuous communication with parents and guardians.
Cumulative File
The regulations enhance individual follow-up for each gifted learner by establishing a cumulative file from the time of enrollment. This file includes identification test results, psychological and academic records, projects, activities, and competitions, periodic reports, counseling sessions, and care plans, with an emphasis on data confidentiality.
The file provides a comprehensive reference for monitoring learner development, evaluating their progress, and making decisions regarding their educational and care programs, based on documented and cumulative data.
The regulations guarantee the gifted learner the right to an educational and enrichment program suited to their abilities, as well as an environment, tools, and resources that support their talent. They are also entitled to seek scientific, psychological, and social counseling, protection of the privacy of their data, and review of the assessment of their projects and grade components.
Parents and guardians are granted the right, before enrolling their child, to review the academic and enrichment programs, prescribed activities, and conditions for continued enrollment. They are also entitled to monitor the learner’s performance, access their cumulative file, and be informed of measures taken regarding continued enrollment, thereby strengthening the partnership between the school and the family.
Protection of Innovation
In the context of protecting learners’ output, the regulations affirm that learners have rights to their projects, innovations, and works. The Office for Gifted Students will take the necessary measures to protect intellectual property rights whenever a work gives rise to intellectual property rights or a patent, in coordination with the relevant authorities.
At the level of educational staff, the regulations define a professional role for teachers in schools for gifted students, focusing on developing learners’ capabilities rather than mere instruction. This involves stimulating thinking and questioning, accommodating individual differences, and utilizing project-based and inquiry-based learning.
The regulations set the teaching load for gifted student teachers at 12 weekly sessions, with the remaining time dedicated to developing enrichment materials, providing individual supervision of learners’ projects, training them for competitions, preparing periodic reports, and participating in training programs and workshops. This reinforces their role as supervisors and guides for the journey of talent, in addition to their teaching role.
The regulations also require schools for gifted students to prepare an annual operational plan and approved performance indicators, as well as a quarterly report submitted to the Office for Gifted Students. This supports institutional follow-up, measures the level of program implementation, and helps achieve the objectives of the gifted student care system.
